Paper and trash picker tongs and the like



Feb. 27, 1940. w. H. MOORE PAPER AND TRASH PICKER TONG'S AND THE LIKE Filed June 9, 1939 zz/z'zzz'am if Mae.

Patented Feb. 27, 1940 PATENT OFFICE PAPER AND TRASH PICKER TONGS AND f THE LIKE william H. Moore, Los Angeles, Calif. e Application June 9, 1939, Serial No., 278,375

` 2 Claims.

v'I'his invention relates to certain new and' useful improvements in paper and trash picker tongs and the like., f

,The primary object ofthe invention isto provide paper, and trash picker tongs and vthe like, especially designed for usel by custodians and janitors of school houses, school yards, public parks and buildings, hotels and is especially serviceable, for picking up articles in and behind shrubbery, hedges, radiators and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character in the form of a pair of tongs having relatively wide gripping jaws with the two jaws mounted upon a common pivot at the outer end of the rod or handle of the desired length, the gripping jaws being in a normalv open position and adapted to be simultaneously and manually moved to closing or gripping position at their pivotal mounting at the outer end of the handle. y

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists ini-,he novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in 'the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure' 1 is a side perspective view, partly broken away and shown in section of paper and trash picker tongs land the like constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the gripping jaws in their normally opened posi- Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the gripping jaws in their partially closed position;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The paper and trash picker tongs and the like `comprises an elongated handle rod of the desired length for the character of invention disclosed,

with a hand grip 6 at its inner end, while the outer end of the handle rod 5 carries a pair of cooperating gripping jaws pivotally attached thereto.' For clarity of description, the two pivotally mounted gripping jaws will be referred to as upper and lower jaws and said upper andlower jaws are respectively designated in general by the reference characters 1 and 8. The gripping jaws 1 and 8 are preferably formed of sheet metal, the lower jaw 8 comprising a comparatively wide plate 9 that is substantially flat or straight at itsouter end and gradually increasing in dishediormation towards its inner end, the dished formation providing a pair of diametrically opposite parallel ears IIJ pivotally supported upon a'pin II extending transversely of the forward end of the handle rod 5. The lower jaw 8 inwardly of the pvot pin II is of substantially U-shape in cross-section as shown at I2 and the innerend of saidjaw at thev U-shape portion carries'a pair of laterally directed arms I3 disposed at opposite sides of the handle rod 5 with l the terminal ends ofthe arms I3 reduced and directed toward each other as at I4 for purposes presently to appear.

The upper gripping jaw 'I has `a jaw plate I5 of the general formation of the lower gripping 1 jaw 8 and the inner end of the jaw plate I5 carries a pair of laterally directed arms I6 that overlie. the pivot ears I0 of the lower jaw 8 as shown in the drawing with the terminal ends of the arms I6 reduced and directed toward each other 20 as shown at I1 beneath the lower jaw 8 for purposes -presently to appear, `the arms 9 being mounted upon the pivot `pin II` that pivotally supports the lower jaw 8. The jaw plates 9 and I5l are reinforced by longitudinally extending 25 ribs.

The'operating means for moving the gripping jaws 1 and 8 upon their common pivot pin II comprise an elongated rod I8 extending longitudinally of the handle rod 5, the forward end ofthe rod I8 having a pivot pin connected i9 with the reduced terminal ends Il of the side arms i6 of the upper jaw 'l beneath the lower jaw 8. As shown more clearly in Figure 1, the handle rod 5 is longitudinally slotted as at 2U and a clamp 2I carried by the rod I8 below the handle rod 5 extends upwardly into said slot 2U and has pivotally attached to its upper end as at 22, one end oi a connecting rod 23 while theother end of said connecting rod 23 is pivotally attached as at 24 to the reduced ends I4 of the upstanding arm I3 of the lower gripping jaw 8. The inner end of the rod I8`is attached as at 25 to the hand lever 26 that is pivotally attached as at 2l to the lhand grip 6 at the inner end of the handle rod 5. 45 An eye-bolt 28 or the like projects laterally of the handle rod 5 at a point inwardly of the gripping jaws l and 8 through which the rod I8 extends, the eye-bolt 28 forming an abutment for one end vof a coil spring 29 enclosing the rod I8 50 between said eye-bolt 2B and clamp2 I, the spring 29 being operative for forwardly projecting the, clamp 2| which moves the clamping jaws 1 and 8 to an open position on their pivot pin I I. From the above detailed descriptionof the de- 55 vice, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will be at once apparent, it being noted that the gripping jaws 'I and 8 are normally in an open position and upon operating the hand lever 26, the rod I8 and clamp 2| are retracted against the tension of the spring 29 for moving the gripping jaws 'l and 8 on their pivotal con-` nection I l to a closed gripping position as suggested in Figure 2 of the drawing. To facilitate carrying of the device, the handle rod 5 is provided with a spring clip 3i! by which the device may be attached to the belt or Waist-line of the person using the same or to a trash receptacle being carried.

While there is herein shown and described the l preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nev` ertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the'invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. Tongs of the character described, including a handle rod, a pair of gripping jaws pivotally mounted on a pin at the outer end of the handle rod, each jaw having a pair of arms extending to 25` the opposite side of the handle rod, operating means for the jaws including a hand lever at the inner end of the handle rod, a slide rod adjacent and parallel with the handle rod connected at its inner end to said hand lever and pivotally connected at its outer end to a pair of arms of one jaw, an eye-bolt carried by the handle rod through which said slide rod extends, ra link conf r y 2. Tongs of the characterfdescribed, including a handle rod, a pair ofgripping jawsfpivotally mounted on a pin at `the outer end of the handle' rod, each jaw having a pair of arms extending to the opposite side of the handle rod, operating means for the jaws including a hand lever at the inner end of the handle rod, a slide rod adjacent and parallel with the handle rod connected at its -inner end to said hand lever and pivotally connected at its outer end to a pair of arms of v one jaw, an eye-bolt carried by the handle rodk through which said slide rod extends, an abutment von the slide rod, said handle rod having af slotted opening therein in which said abutment' is slidable, a link connection between saidabut-- ment and the pair of arms of the *other jaw and.' a coil spring on the slide rod between the eye-bolt and abutment for tensioning the rslide rod and normally holding the gripping jaws in open posi-r f tion.

WILLIAM n. MOORE.` 

